Augustus m



(No Model.)

vA. M. FREEMAN.

BALL GAMB.

UNITED 'Y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS M. FREEMAN, OF METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND CHARLES S. EDGAR, OF SAME PLACE.

BALL GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming .part of Letters Patent No. 373,136, dated November 15, 1887.

Application filed February 23, 1.81'57. Serial No. 228,479. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS M. FREE- MAN, of Metuchen, in the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Ball Games, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement is for lessening the space occupied by the flexible base or platform when -not in use, for insuring smoothness of such platform when spread, and for projecting the balls with accuracy and with but little exertion in shooting the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the platform. Fig. 2-is a section in larger size of the frame and part of the platform. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the lieXible pocket and cross-piece. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the platform as rolled up for transportation, and Fig. 5 is a `section of the shooter for the balls.

The base of the platform is made of a flexible sheet, 2, such as oil-cloth, that can be rolled up, but which will not contract endwise when laid out flat, and upon this a layer, 3, of cloth is glued'or otherwise fastened. The side pieces, 4 and 5, are fastened upon the platform at its edges by nails passed through the flexible platform into the wood, and at the ends there are stretchers 6 and 7, hinged to the side pieces, 4 and 5, respectively, and swinging inwardly, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. These strot-chers are of a length sufficient to reach across at the end from one side piece, 4, to the other side piece, 5, and hooks S-are provided to connect the parts at the angles. By this meansa folding frame is made that will hold the platform in a sufficiently-stretched condition for use when the same is laid upon the door or on a table, and when not in use the stretchers can be folded against the side pieces, and then the platform rolled-up into a comparatively small compass, as shown in Fig. 4.

A In ball games pockets are generally required for receiving the balls. I make in the Side pieces, 4 and 5, or end stretchers, 6 or 7, or both,the necessary arched openings, through which the balls can pass, and attach a loop of leather, l2, or similar material, at its ends to the side or end piece at each side of the hole so that a pocket is thereby formed for the reception of the balls. The table or iioor forms the bottoms of these pockets, and when the platform is rolled up the flexible pockets fold :down against the side or end pieces and occupy but little space.

These end pieces may be separated in the middle and hinged at each end of the side pieces, if preferred, the moving ends coming together at the middle of the end portions of the platform, as illustrated by the fine dotted `quarter-circles in Fig. 1. y

In some games a cross-piece, 13, with arching holes, is made use of. I apply my flexible pockets to the saine in the form of a strip of leather or similar material bent into a bow or loop at each opening and attached by nails or tacks to the cross-piece between one hole and the next, so as to hold any ball adjacent to the opening through which it has passed.

In order to project the balls 15 and cause them to roll over the platform, I make use of the spring-shooter shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The barrel 20 has a foot-piece, 21,'at the back end to cause it to set firmly upon the platform, and within this barrel is a short tube, 22, attached to the inside of the back head,23, and receiving the base of the helical spring 24, and within this spring is a rod, 29, the

1forward part of which projects through and beyond the head 30 of the barrel 20,and around this rod 29 is the disk or head 31, against which one end of the spr-ing 24 acts; and there -is a spring-trigger, 32, upon the top of the shooter, the latch end of which passes through the barrel 20 and engages the disk 31 when the rod 29 has been pushed inwardly, so as to hold the parts with the spring in a compressed condition. The trigger 32 is either a fiat spring with latch near the end, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that the shooter is fired by lifting up the end of the spring, or else it is made as a lever, as shown, so that it is discharged by depressing the outer end of the lever. In either form the shooter is well adapted to projecting the ball with accuracy, and the same is easily manipulated.

The elastic head or cap 35, preferably of rubber, upon the outer end of the rod 29 prevents the end of the rod injuring the ball and increases the elasticity of the blow when the shooter is discharged.

I do not claim a spring-gun in which the head is Within the barrel and the rod is drawn back at the back end to compress the spring; neither do I claim a flexible base having a movable frame for stretching the same, as these are Well known.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a portable platform for ball games, of a nonelastic flexible base, such as oil-cloth, a covering of cloth 0n the top thereof, side pieces, 4 and 5, to which the flexible base and cloth are permanently nailed, andthe stretchers 6 and7 at the ends and hinged to the respective side pieces, 4 and 5, and swinging inwardly, so thatthe platform can be rolled for transportation, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the liexible base and the side pieces connected therewith, of pockets formed of strips of flexible material, such as leather, fastened at their ends to the side pieces adjacent to the holes through which the balls pass, substantially as set forth. A

3. The combination, with the barrel and the helical spring within the same, of a rod having a disk within the barrel and against which the spring acts, a. trigger to hold such disk When the spring is compressed, and a projecting end to be pressed upon in compressing the spring, and an elastic head to the outer end of the rod for striking the ball, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this 16th day of February, 1887.

AUGUSTUS M. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. MoTT. 

